International Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology                                                                                                                                                       
                   Editorial 
                           Good Nutrition and Healthy Gastrointestinal Tract (GIT) for 
                                                       Sustainable Healthy Living 
                                *
                   Agugo UA  
                   Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Alli University Ekpoma, Nigeria 
                   Citation: Agugo UA. Good Nutrition and Healthy Gastrointestinal Tract (GIT) for Sustainable Healthy Living. 
                   Int Jour Gastro Hepat. 2022;1(2):1-3. 
                   Received Date: 28 June, 2022; Accepted Date: 07 July, 2022; Published Date: 11 July, 2022 
                   *Corresponding author: Agugo UA. Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Alli University Ekpoma, 
                   Nigeria. 
                   Copyright:  ©  Agugo  UA,  Open  Access  2022.  This  article,  published  in  Int  Jour  Gastro  Hepat  (IJGH) 
                   (Attribution 4.0 International), as described by http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. 
                    
                   ABSTRACT 
                   All metabolic processes take place in the Gastrointestinal Tract (GIT) or digestive system of every human being 
                   and animal. Digestion, absorption and utilization of food nutrients is a natural phenomenon God the creator 
                   installed in the body system of every living organism to sustain life. This important phenomenon takes place in 
                   the  GIT.  The  whole  process  usually  starts  from  the  oral  cavity  (chewing  to  reduce  particle  size  of  solid 
                   substances), through the oesophagus (passage) to the stomach for chemical degradation of ingested substance, 
                   absorption  of  nutrients  takes  place  in  the  small  intestine,  the  large  intestine  forms  stool  from  undigested 
                   substances,  store  stool  (waste)  in  the  rectum  and  pushed  out  of  the  body  through  the  anus.  These  organs 
                   performs specific functions to sustain life, disorder in any part affects the functioning of the other and the 
                   general  well-being  of  the  affected  individual.  Good  nutrition  is  an  aspect  of  healthy  living  but  without  a 
                   functioning GIT. For instance, if an individual consumes food regularly and is not able produce and excrete 
                   stool normally, it is a sign of poor health condition that requires urgent medical attention. Regular consumption 
                   of food substances couple with constant excretion of feces from the human body is a good sign of healthy living. 
                   Organs along the GIT, like the biliary organs (liver, pancreas, and gallbladder) perform detoxification function 
                   and also assist the GIT in digestive functions to sustain life. The role of the GIT in health maintenance cannot be 
                   overemphasized; therefore, there is need for more observational and clinical research in this area, and more 
                   urgently, a resident nutritionist and gastroenterologist in Primary Health Care (PHC) centers across the globe to 
                   ensure healthy GIT for a sustainable healthy living. 
                    
                   INTRODUCTION 
                   The Gastro Intestinal Tract (GIT) plays a vital role in the physical and chemical breakdown of solid food 
                   substances and utilization of food nutrients in the body of every living organism. It is a very important system in 
                   the  body,  composed  of  several  parts;  mouth  (oral  cavity),  oesophagus,  stomach,  small  intestine,  and  large 
                   intestine (colon, rectus &anus). These human parts perform specific functions in nutrient catabolism (digestion 
                   and absorption) and anabolism (synthesis of non-essential nutrients). It is not an exaggeration that any disorder 
                   Int Jour Gastro Hepat (IJGH)  2022 | Volume 1 | Issue 1 
                   International Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology                                                                                                                                                       
                   Editorial 
                   affecting proper breakdown, absorption and utilization of food nutrients in the body will affect the general well-
                   being of an individual. Naturally, all organisms must obtain nutrients from the environment (food intake), 
                   metabolize (digest and absorb) and utilize (make compounds and tissues) these food nutrients in the GIT in 
                   order to sustain life. However, the goal 3 of 2015 United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 
                   is targeted to ‘Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being at all ages’. Unfortunately, the objectives of this 
                   goal is narrowed to only providing medical consumable and physical facilities (childhood immunization, access 
                   to  health  facilities  &  maternal  care)  and,  there  seems  to  be  no  consideration  for  engaging  qualified 
                   gastroenterologist and Nutritionist in the primary health care (PHC) system across the globe to ensure a more 
                   sustainable well-being for all. Services of these professionals are highly needed in public and private health care 
                   facilities, especially those located in the developing countries. This is because, targeting to promote general 
                   well-being for all by 2030 will involve medical (physical & human facilities), lifestyle (nutrition and exercise) 
                   and environmental (boost in agricultural products) factors. The interconnectedness of the SDGs 2 ‘zero hunger’ 
                   and 3 ‘good health’ is obvious, when food is available, accessible and affordable to all, adequate utilization of 
                   food nutrients is ensured to prevent poor health status.  
                    
                   ORGANS OF THE GIT AND THEIR FUNCTIONS 
                   Oral cavity/mouth  
                   The oral cavity contains digestive enzymes that either facilitate the break-down of solid substances (foods and 
                   drug)  or  hinder  the  penetration  of  harmful  substances,  especially  from  drugs  into  the  body.  Every  solid 
                   substance ingested into the body first undergo the process of chewing, this specific function is performed by the 
                   teeth. When there is tooth decay (dental caries), it will affect this process while restricting food intake. The gum 
                   holds the teeth, when the gum is inflamed (gingivitis), it will definitely affect the function of the teeth. The 
                   salivary gland is also found in the mouth that produces the moist substance (saliva) that aid in softening and 
                   swallowing of chewed solid substances. Any disorder effecting secretion of saliva in the oral cavity will directly 
                   affect food intake. The tongue helps to roll down solid food substances into the oesophagus, what if the tongue 
                   is  inflamed (glossitis) and not able to perform this specific role, that means that the affected individual will 
                   remain only on liquid diet as long as the disorder is corrected.  
                   Oesophagus  
                   The oesophagus sphincter performs the function of a lift or transporter in the body by lifting/ transporting food 
                   and liquid substances from the oral cavity to the stomach. When inflamed (oesophagitis), and is not able to 
                   perform this specific function, this may result to ‘hold-up’ of food and liquid in the oral cavity, vomiting, or 
                   other heath threatening disorders. 
                   Stomach  
                   The  stomach  releases  gastric  juices  containing  hydrochloric  acid  and  specific  enzymes  that  initiate  the 
                   breakdown of food substances. Digestion is the chemical breakdown of food nutrients (carbohydrate, protein, 
                   and fat) that takes place in the stomach. There are disorders (dumping syndrome and gastritis) that can delay or 
                   hinder the stomach from performing this important function. This will eventually result to accumulation of 
                   undigested food substances in the body, when this occurs will definitely affect food intake.  
                   Small intestine 
                   Int Jour Gastro Hepat (IJGH)  2022 | Volume 1 | Issue 1 
                   International Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology                                                                                                                                                       
                   Editorial 
                   This organ is made up three important sections the upper (duodenum), middle (jejunum) and the lower (ileum). 
                   The process of absorption (uptake) of food nutrients into the various part of the body for use and maintenance, 
                   takes  place  in  the  small  intestine  with  the  aid  of  body  secretions,  co-factors  (minerals)  or/and  co-enzymes 
                   (vitamins). Disorders such as peptic ulcer and celiac disease can either disrupt or hinder the small intestine from 
                   performing this specific function in the body. This will definitely affect proper utilization of food nutrient in the 
                   body of the affected individual, resulting to weight loss, brain damage and other complications.  
                    
                   Large intestine (colon, rectum and anus) 
                   Undigested food substances are converted to stool in the large intestine by the aid of microbes present in the 
                   colon. Certain disorders, like ulcerative colitis (UC), cancer and diverticulitis can affect this important process, 
                   resulting  to  accumulation  of  waste  in the  body.  The rectum is the lower  part  of  the large  intestine.  Waste 
                   generated from nutrient metabolism in the large intestine is stored in the rectum and excreted from the body in 
                   form of feces through the anus during bowel movement. Disorders, such as internal and external hemorrhoids, 
                   abscesses, incontinence and cancer can disrupt or delay this process resulting to poor health condition.  
                   Biliary organs 
                   The  organs  along  the  GIT  (liver,  pancreas  and  gall  bladder),  secrets  certain  important  substances  (insulin, 
                   trypsin, bile, chymotrypsin) into the stomach, that helps in proper digestion of food nutrients and also help in 
                   detoxification and excretion of waste from the body. Urea, a toxic substance in protein foods is detoxified in the 
                   liver and excreted in urine through the urinary organs. When the liver is inflamed (hepatitis) and is not able to 
                   perform this important functions, will result to several life threatening disorders including retention of nitrogen 
                   (Oedema). This is just a tip of the icebergs on the importance of the GIT and the organs along the GIT in 
                   sustaining health and life.  
                    
                   CONCLUSION  
                   The role of the GIT and biliary organs in nutrient metabolism, utilization and maintenance of health cannot be 
                   overemphasized. People are encouraged to eat adequately, but be informed that right intake of food nutrients is 
                   incomplete without a healthy GIT. Healthy eating lifestyle can only be effective when people have healthy 
                   gastrointestinal tract. Targeting good health and well-being for all ages must definitely involve maintaining 
                   healthy GIT for all. 
                     
                   REFERENCES 
                        1.  Sustainable Development Goals. Goal 3: Ensure Healthy Lives and Promote Well-Being for All at All 
                            Ages. 
                        2.  NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. 
                   Int Jour Gastro Hepat (IJGH)  2022 | Volume 1 | Issue 1